The Battle of Mogadishu Essay Example for Free

The Battle of Mogadishu Essay The Battle of Mogadishu took place in the narrow streets of Mogadishu, Somalia October 3-4 1993 over 17 hours. 160 United Nations combatants under the command of US General William Garrison fought an estimated 2000 supporters of the warlord, General Mohammed Farah Aidid, head of the Somali National Alliance. The Battle generated considerable public interest and debate, impacting US foreign policy and future UN missions. Among many books on the incident are those by Mike Durant, a combatant and Mark Bowden, who conducted extensive interviews. Parker’s Military History online contains useful data. The background was the outbreak of civil war after dictator Mohammed Siad Barre had been ousted by clan chiefs in January 1991, who set their differences aside long enough to topple him. Their unity did not survive and civil war began. Two parties emerged, one under Aidid and one under Ali Mahdi. The civilian population, caught in the middle, experienced severe hardship. More than 300, 000 died from starvation (Durant 2). Thousands crossed into neighboring states as refugees. When the international community responded with food aid, warlords hijacked supplies to use them to purchase arms. The UN launched Operation Provide Relief (United Nations Operation in Somalia – I) in April 1992. This did little to halt the crisis because hardly any food actually fed anyone. The United Nations then requested members to send combat troops to Somalia, to protect the food convoys. President George H. W Bush of the United States agreed to deploy 250,000 US troops. Known as Operation Restore Hope, or UNITAF (United Nations Unified Task Force) the mandate, dated December 3 1992, was restricted to supporting the humanitarian effort. This mandate was extended in March 1993 to include â€Å"nation building†- ending the war, establishing a stable state and a democratically elected government. When Bill Clinton became President, he reduced the level of US involvement to 1200 combat and 3000 support troops. Italy, Pakistan and Malaysia also joined the UN force, now called UNOSOM-II, established in March 1993. UNOSOM-II consisted of 15,000 military and police personnel. Fifteen of the sixteen clans agreed to cooperate with the UN force. Aidid refused. The UN subsequently ordered its forces to disarm Aidid’s militia. On June 5 1993 a contingent of Pakistani soldiers engaged in this task clashed with Aidid’s troops in Mogadishu, suffering 24 casualties (Bowden 427). The UN responded by ordering the apprehension of those responsible for their deaths, so that they could put on trial. US troops received intelligence that Aidid’s foreign affairs advisor and chief political advisor were at the Olympic Hotel in Mogadishu to attend a high level meeting, possibly with Aidid himself. Based on this intelligence, a US led strike code named Operation Gothic Serpent was planned for October 3, 1993. The force consisted of 160 men drawn from Delta Force (US Special Operations Force), Rangers from the 75th Regiment, Navy SEALS and from the Air Force, supported by 19 M H-60 Black Hawk helicopters from the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment. The plan involved personnel fast-roping down from the helicopters, securing the targets so that they could then be retrieved by ground vehicles (12 in number) then transported back to the US headquarters. The Humvees were due to reach the Hotel shortly after the operation began. Under Captain Michael Steele, four Rangers secured the perimeter to prevent anyone entering or leaving the Hotel. Another Ranger blocked the road, while the Delta team entered the Hotel at 15: 32 (Bowden 4). Colonel Danny McKnight commanded the ground convoy, whose SEALS were meant to assist the assault team (Bowden 59). At 15: 42, the first Delta operatives hit the Hotel, capturing both men and 22 other senior Aidid aids. One Ranger, Todd Blackburn lost his grip and fell 70 feet, injuring himself (Bowden 4). By 15: 47 Somalis had crowded the area around the Hotel, impeding the progress of the ground convoy, making it impossible to keep to schedule. At 16: 20, an enemy rocket hit Black Hawk Super 61, which crashed five blocks North of the Hotel. Both the â€Å"ground assault element† and the â€Å"exfil convoy† were â€Å"ordered to re-group† at the crash site (Durant 20). Although the supporting helicopter crews tried to send warnings about roadblocks and detour information to the convoy, the communication system was too slow. The helicopters could not speak directly to the convoy but had to do so via their commanders. By 16: 35, the convoy had lost its way. Search and rescue teams were dispatched to assist the stricken helicopter, which resulted in the US switching â€Å"the point of attack† from the Hotel where the prisoners and their Delta force captors were waiting to be retrieved to â€Å"three hundred yards West† (Stevenson 94). At 16: 40, Black Hawk Super 64 was brought down a mile to the southwest of the Hotel. Again, a rescue team was sent to retrieve the crew. As soon as the aircraft hit the ground, hundreds of armed Somalis, some civilian some members of militia, appeared at the scene. 99 US personnel were surrounded at the first crash site. At 16: 42, two members of Delta force volunteer to lower themselves to the second downed helicopter to help defend the injured crew. At 17: 40 both were killed, together with all members of the helicopter crew except the commanding office, Mike Durant who was dragged away by militia. The ground convoy and a rescue convoy failed to reach their targets, returning to HQ at 17. 45. At 19. 08, Black Hawk 66 dropped supplies and ammunition to the soldiers trapped at the first crash site. A new rescue squad, including Pakistani and Malaysian soldiers, left HQ at 23. 23, reaching the trapped men at 1. 55 October 4. At 5. 30, the troops are able to begin to leave the city on foot heading for the Pakistani compound. By 6. 30, it had been confirmed that 13 US soldiers were dead, 73 injured with six missing. The final toll was 18 dead. Durant was released on October 14. March 24, 1994 all US troops left Somalia, followed by all UN troops the following year. Between 200 and 500 Somalis died. Subsequently, the US and the UN became reluctant to commit forces where little real agreement exists on the ground between rival parties. Washington became reluctant to commit troops to situations that present no direct security threat to the US itself. In addition, strategic lessons have been learned from the battle. These are especially relevant in situations where insurgents blend with local populations. First, intelligence – the US did not know that Aidid possessed rocket propelled grenades. Aidid planned to neutralize US air support, then flooded the battle zone with superior numbers. He was also prepared to use civilians as â€Å"human shields† (Stevenson 94). Claims have been made that Italian soldiers tipped Aidid off about the operation, which would explain why militia with rockets reached the scene so quickly. Also, better knowledge of â€Å"Somali city streets† would have helped the ground forces reach their targets (O’Hanlon 119). The Somalis had the advantage of local knowledge. Second, direct communication from air support to ground may have prevented convoys from getting lost. Thirdly, too few troops were deployed against a much larger foe – albeit crack troops against irregular and poorly trained insurgents. The basic plan, though, was sound, the type of extraction for which the forces involved were well trained. Technically, too, the operation was successful, since 24 insurgents were taken into custody. References Bowden, Mark. Black Hawk Down: A Story of Modern War. New York: Atlantic Monthly Press, 1999. Durant, Michael J. , and Steven Hartov. In the Company of Heroes. New York: G. P. Putnams Sons, 2003. OHanlon, Michael E. Technological Change and the Future of Warfare. Washington, D. C. : Brookings Institution Press, 2000. Parker, Larry. The Battle of Mogadishu. Military History Online http://www. militaryhistoryonline. com/general/articles/mogadishu. aspx Accessed April 25 2009. Stevenson, Jonathan. Losing Mogadishu: Testing U. S. Policy in Somalia. Annapolis, Md: Naval Institute Press, 1995.

My Grandparents Essay Example for Free

My Grandparents Essay One favorite place from my childhood that I remember fondly is my grandparents house. On one hand, its marvelous location is unforgettable to me. On the other hand, I have a lovely remembrance of all the fun activities my family and I did there. In addition, other memories include the delicious meals we enjoyed there. To begin, it had a marvelous location. My grandparents house was in Punta Cuna, one of the eastern beach cities in the Dominican Republic. The house was very near to the beach, on the top of a hill: for that reason, a fresh breeze was always blowing. It was surrounded by beautiful gardens and a huge back yard with many fruit trees on which lived a lot of birds that would delight with their trills. The view from all of the windows, which included the sea or the backyard, was marvelous. Also, my sisters and I could see the sunrise from the portal. Being a woken up by the sound of the neighbor rooster was my favorite. Not to forget the different aromas coming from the prevalent peddlers made you just want to savor all the different bouquets coming there my little pink bedroom window. In addition, my grandparents planned a lot of activities to keep us amused. We and our friends used to go to the beach every morning, and sometimes we went in the afternoons too. We played a lot of board games such as dominoes, canasta, continental and monopoly. Also, we used to play outdoors for example we did races, played hide-and-seek, and took refreshing hose showers at the backyard. My grandfather would send us out on mini scavenger hunts around the yard for different things he would hide. While we would search for them he would change them locate and then yell out â€Å" Your so freezing cold ; wrong direction† in creole, then start laugh. My grandmother would take us with her on occasion to the Marche aux Puces and we would go around and view the different Merchants who enticing fragrance would wake me up in the morning. At night we would lay under the stars in the backyard and enjoy what we bought from the Marche aux Puces. Last but not least, was the exquisite meals that we ate there. My grandfather was a wonderful cook, and he used to prepare tasteful dishes for us. We tried vegetables, seafood, and all kind of meat made for him. Sometimes, my grandparents and we went out to dinner and could taste a wide variety of meals. The beautiful location left indelible marks in our minds. The amusing time that we passed there is unforgettable. I never try again a meal with the delicious taste of my grandfathers meal. For all of that, my grandparents house was in my memory as the most favorite place that I visited during my childhood.

Corporate Strategy For Kingfisher Plc

Corporate Strategy For Kingfisher Plc This paper shall discuss about the financial management of Kingfisher Plc. This report shall include the background information of the organization which will tackle the brief history of the organizations formation and development, its mission statement, and its organizational values. The major stakeholders shall also be examined and their powers and function shall be evaluated as well. An environmental analysis of the organization shall also be conducted. The company shall also be appraised by means of a SWOT analysis. Finally, the organizations strategy shall be identified and evaluated. History of Kingfisher Plc The origins of the company can be traced back in the year 1982 when FW Woolworth was acquired by Paternoster. This deal came with a small chain of home improvement stores. This was the start of the creation of Europes biggest retail company. In 1984, the company bought the chains of Cornet electrical and the health and beauty stores of Superdrug in 1987. During the 1990s, the companys BQ continued its expansion when it opened its Warehouse style stores in the year 1994. On the year 1998, BQ merged with Frances leading home improvement retail store, Castorama. The following year, BQ opened its first store in China. The decade also marked other acquisitions such as Screwfix. The year 2000, the organization has decided on focusing its expansion on its home improvement stores. Woolsworth was demerged and Superdrug was sold towards the end of the year. On the year 2002, the remaining stakes at Castorama was acquired in order to continuously develop the home improvement chains in Europe. The organization has focused in expanding internationally such as creating new businesses in Turkey, Spain and Russia. Core businesses were also developed in the United Kingdom, France and Poland. Towards the end of the decade, the organization has a total of 830 stores and eight markets across Europe and Asia. The organizations mission statement is delivering more value for the shareholders of Kingfisher by focusing on three key priorities namely: management; capital and returns. SCC is geared towards providing an environment that encourages and gives merit to team efforts. They are committed in having consultative and participative management instead of directive management. They also encourage appropriate authority delegation and decision making on the lowest possible member of the organization. Collective effort and teamwork is being insisted. It is Kingfishers belief that a rich network of communication which is informal and open can lead into greater trust, learning and innovation. Kingfisher supports the concept of attractive compensation to a great performance. Kingfisher cultivates a set of beliefs that are shared within the organization wherein all policies and actions are based. It is believed that success is the goal for each effort and that determination in improving and innovating are constant challenges and stimuli. It is also believed that integrity, objectivity and fair play in business as well as in relationships with staff are very important. Mutual trust and respect are also very vital culture being practiced. Work in the company is perceived as enjoyable. Finally, Kingfisher believes with the perpetuity of its organization. Organizational Values The organization aims in achieving sufficient profit so that it can provide very attractive returns to is shareholders as well as financing the companys growth. For the company, profit is the organizations reward for their effort in offering the consumers the right kinds of products and services. For the long term, profit is the one absolute measure of their corporate performance. It is the organizations belief that in continually meeting their profit objective, other corporate objectives shall follow as well. Kingfisher believes that as a company is their duty in providing clients with quality products and services. The organization values that customers shall always come first. The customers interest should be the companys interest as well, and this should provide them with a long-term partnership with one another. The organization is committed in earning a preferred position with each of their clients by offering a consistently highest quality and reliability of service. Kingfisher ensures that they products always represent the best value for money. It is Kingfisher strategy in exerting its efforts only to those markets, industries and products wherein the organization can excel. Kingfisher believes in providing its people an environment wherein they can excel, develop and have growth in the company. Kingfisher considers its human resources as its most important asset. It aims in attracting people, developing them and retaining those with the highest foundations of character and competence. It does its best in providing training and opportunity to the people for development in improving themselves so that they could expand in their career opportunities. It is expected that their manpower will be full of initiative and drive and is eager in staying and growing with Kingfisher. It ensures that the people of Kingfisher get the recognition they deserve and that the people should be grateful with their accomplishments and that the company has its best choice with them. Examination of Major Stakeholders Stockholders elect the members of the board and they represent the stockholders interests in the company. Board members are at the apex of the decision making body of Kingfisher. They ensure that corporate strategies are met and are all in the interest of the stockholders. They can also do sanctions such as voting against nominees for the board of directors. Further, the board of directors has the authority in hiring, firing and compensating corporate employees. Authorities are centralized at Kingfisher. The managers in the organizations upper levels have retained the authority in making decisions. Decision making that is centralized is easier to coordinate with regards to organizational activities in order to carry out the strategy of the company. This also means that the organizations decisions are fit with the organizations objectives. In times of crisis, this decision making gives strong leadership that is focusing with one person or group. It allows a faster decision making process and a concerted response throughout the organization. Kingfisher clusters its people through groups of common expertise and experiences. This is called Functional Structure which has several advantages. First, the employees perform together and from this they can learn from each other. Employees become more productive on something that they do. Second, employees can monitor on their tasks and make sure that they are giving their best and do not let their responsibilities shrink. The result of this is that the work process becomes more effective. Most of all, the Functional Structure gives the manager a greater control of the activities within the organization. Environmental Analysis Five Forces Model and PESTLE Analysis According to Michael Porter (2009), there are five competitive forces that shape strategy. These are the established rivals; supplier power; customer power; new entrants; and the substitutes. According to Porter, customers dictate to lower the prices by playing the organization and its rival against one another. Suppliers on the other hand can hinder an organizations profit if they charge higher prices. The aspiring new entrants are armed with much newer capacities and are hungry for a share in the market can ratchet your investment in keeping Kingfisher in the market. The offered substitutes can just drive customers away. Porter has suggested tactics designed in reshaping these forces for your organizations favor. In neutralizing the power of the supplier, specifications of your organizations should be standardized so that shifting to other vendors can be easy. Customer power can be countered by expanding the organizations services so that it will be hard for the customers to leave. In tempering wars established by rivals, organizations should invest heavily with products that are different with that of the rivals. New entrants can be scared away by elevating your organizations fixed costs like increasing your organizations research and development. Threats brought about by the substitutes can be limited by offering products with greater value. Figure 1 is the PESTEL analysis for the organization of Kingfisher. Political factors such as regulations and politicians often affect an organizations strategy. This is the same as the legislative factors which includes legislation from the European Union and directives from the United Kingdom. Fortunately over almost twenty years in the business Kingfisher is able to adapt through these changes in policy. Economic trends which include world trends as well as that of the United Kingdom and homebuilding industry also affected the strategies of Kingfisher. But through the means of effective planning and execution of strategies, it was able to address the ever changing trends of these factors. Technology has always been a factor in advancements. Kingfisher was able to meet the demands of this fast paced factor. It was able to deliver a more effective service and product to its consumers. Social factors that is very important. Based on the strategies of the company their relationships w ith its stakeholders are of utmost importance. Activities in promoting and practicing corporate social responsibility were ensured to be given top priority. Finally, the environmental factors such as public opinion, cost implications and sites and locations were ensured that adherence to guidelines were followed. SWOT Analysis Kingfishers greatest advantage is its very adept experience in its line of business. Through extensive research and continuous development, it is able to produce top of the line products. With an over 100 operations all over the globe, it has a great marketing advantage over its competitors. Its greatest advantage is its workforce. Kingfisher ensures that the manpower it appoints has the advantage in handling its operations both culturally and technically. Kingfishers most valuable capability is its ability to produce great products and its marketing expertise all over the world. It is best that they would continue to do research for the continual improvement of its products towards customer satisfaction worldwide. Threats to the organizations operations are small homebuilding businesses especially in the local scenarios. These businesses would often offer cheaper prices and its managements are often run by locals that are undeniably more knowledgeable of the local market. Since the firms strength is its efficient product and very capable marketing ability, it is better to continue developing its products to address the ever changing needs of homebuilding industry. The only weakness that can be derived on this case study, based on the facts given, is its inability to train people for future succession plans. The threats are the local competitors in China which in all factors, know the Chinese market very well than anyone. It is with this given threat, that opportunities such as training more competent employees that are culturally and technologically adept should be considered. Evaluation of Organizations Strategy The article of Sveiby focuses on the very little development of strategy in firms that are not in the manufacturing industry. It also emphasised on the notion that strategies were juts formed and developed for the manufacturing industry. It was imposed on this article regarding knowledge intensive companies those in the service industry. This sector is a phenomenon of all types of companies that range from organizations that took the effort in refining and packaging their outputs. Knowledge industries are the ones in the service sector. Heavy investment in knowledge and highly innovative. An ongoing process of solving the problems of the customers by the producers is the emergence of service. Roos, G. R. (1997) came to the conclusion that standardized service or package was only appropriate on a short term base. The provider of the service is an expert while the customers want their problems to be solved by the expertise of the provider. It is therefore fitting that the knowledge in dustries know how to treat their clients as individuals. According to Morton (2010), when strategy and strategic planning is defined, it should always include as taking all the proactive approaches in evaluating all activities basing it in how well the activity moves towards the core goal of the business. More specifically, strategies are the plans for reaching a business objectives and goals. The concept of shaping strategies was discussed by John Hagel in his article Shaping Strategies. According to Hagel (2008), shaping strategies are strategies that use positive incentives in mobilizing and focusing thousand of participants to shape a specific desired industry or market. The elements that come together in this strategy are the compelling shaping view in providing focus for the participants of investments, a very power platform that will shape the economic leverage of the participants, and the shapers sets of acts and assets in communicating conviction and capabilities to potential participants. Hagel (2010) believes that shaping strate gies hold a great promise in the business world as business executives hold a greater freedom in shaping their target markets and industries during these times of high uncertainty and rapid change. For the case of the Kingfishers organization, its strategy is on focus strategy. Over the years it has developed new products engaged in businesses, merged with other companies and many other business ventures. All of these decisions are focused on what they do best to provide the consuming public with the best home improvement products and services that they can give.

Flexible Work Practices and Firm Characteristics Essays -- Business Ma

INTRODUCTION An increasing amount of companies are implementing flexible work practices as more US households have dual incomes, working longer hours, and labor force participation rates increase (Winder, 2009). Flexible work practices can enable workers with care giving responsibilities to perform at their peak capacity instead of conforming to standard work schedules that stifle their efforts to succeed (Glass, 2004). If, true the productivity of workers should rise with the use of flexible work practices and should be positively correlated with enhanced wage growth over time. This productivity enhancing effect should particularly lead to higher wage growth among those impeded by rigid work schedules and long hours of work, namely mothers of dependent children (Sharpe, Hermsen & Billings, 2002). However this may not be the case with women. Currently women are not on par dollar for dollar with men. Yet economists think that the gap between pay for women and men is due to different personal ch oices men and women make about personal fulfillment, child rearing and hours at work. Following this further, in the past women would choose to work less hours to allot more time to their children, but there is an increasing number of women who continue to work fulltime throughout motherhood with the help of flextime (Glass, 2004). However these women still encounter the same pattern of wage stagnation (McCrate, 2005). Parents are using flexible work options but mothers appear to be penalized for it. Previously in this paper it was stated that flextime enables workers to achieve the same or greater productivity levels than standardized schedules. So with other factors being accounted for such as personality, seniority, financial sta... ...em? American Behavioral Scientist, 44(7), 1157-1178. Goldin, C. & Katz, L. (2011). The Cost of Workplace Flexibility for High-Powered Professionals. The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 638(1), 1-23. McCrate, E. (2005). Flexible Hours, Workplace Authoirty. and Compensating Wage Differentials in the US. Feminist Economics, 11(1), 11-39. Ralson, D.A. (1989). The Benefits of flextime:Real or Imagined? Journal of Organizational Behavior, 10 (4), 369-373 Ralston, D. (1990). How flexitime eases work-family tensions. Personnel, 67, 45-48. Sharpe, D. L., Hermsen, J. M., & Billings, J. (2002). Gender differences in use of alternative full-time work arrangements of married workers. Family and Consumer Sciences Research Journal, 31, 78-111. Winder, K. (2009). Flexible Work Arrangements and Wages: Do Firm Characteristics Matter.

Bally?s Total Fitness :: essays research papers fc

Bally total fitness originated as an average health and tennis club in 1962. Who would have thought they would be where they are today. Like many other major companies sometimes it pays to be in the right place at the right time. Today they are one of the major companies in a 14 billion dollar health club industry. â€Å"They are the third biggest health care chain behind Curves for women and the YMCA†.Currently they have around four million members and 420 facilities. They currently have operations in 29 states including Asia, the Caribbean, and Canada. You may be wondering why you don’t see that many Bally Fitness Clubs; the reason for this is because they run the business under 6 different names. The other clubs they own include â€Å"Bally Total Fitness, Crunch Fitness, Sports Clubs of Canada, Pinnacle Fitness, Bally Sports Clubs, and Gorilla Sports†. Bally total fitness currently employs 23,500 staff members, 6,700 group instructors, and 3,500 personal trai ners. These numbers are including the clubs they own that are under different names.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   What many people don’t realize is Bally’s Sports clubs is only apart of the company. Along with fitness centers they also have their own products. They have an extensive line of exercise equipment ranging from medicine balls to free weights. However it does not end there they also have a full line of supplements including weight management products, performance supplements, and energy enhancers. There exercise equipment is only available for sale online however there supplements can be purchased at super markets and nutrition stores.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It is not uncommon today to see companies misstate their earnings. As we know this is an illegal activity that has put companies under such as Enron. This is not something that makes your company look good and is not worth getting caught for. Well â€Å"Bally’s got into the mix in early 2003 when they were forced to restate their earnings for the current period†. Their stock price collapsed and needed help in a hurry. They decided to get a new CEO which was a well traveled man known for reviving companies. That man was Paul Toback , he knew something had to be done quickly, so he decided to come up with new advertising efforts in 2004. Those advertisements proved to be extremely successful and they will continue these same types of advertisements in 2005. During this time they have also created strong partnerships with some of the biggest companies in the world.

Comparing T.S. Eliot and Charles Dickins :: essays papers

Comparing TS Eliot and Charles Dickins The poetry written by Thomas Stearns Eliot, Portrait of a Lady has a strong connection with the novel by Henry James. Both deal with almost the same issues. In the poem Eliot talks about how a person will live his or her life during the 19th century. How they would always do exactly what was considered right during that era in society. Eliot mention how rare and strange it is to find true friends. In the novel everyone pretend to be your best friend and was only using the person to benefit something for his or her own convections (Lozano, 2). You do not know how much they mean to me, My friends, and how, How rare and strange it is, to find In a life composed so much, So much of odds and ends (Eliot 19-21). Many people during the 19th century really made friends so that they can have more people coming to their tea parties, one of the things that are mention in the poem as well as in the novel (Lozano, 3). Isabel Archer was considered to be a very innocent lady; she was being taken advantage so that others can get what they wanted when all she wanted was a real friend. Madame Merle was a clever woman who used her to get money for her daughter (Henry, 181). Repeatedly saying in this poem that he will serve tea to his â€Å"friends†. He is saying that in this era there was no such thing as a real friend even though everyone wanted one of his or her own. For everybody said so, all our friends, They all were sure our feelings would relate So closely! I myself can hardly understand. We must leave it now to fate.

Workplace Problems

A: Britani Franklin, Kellie Johnson, Jennifer Vendura, & Rob Vendura PSY/435 August 7,2013 Carla Kuhiman I/O Psychology and Workplace Problems Many individuals struggle with feeling overworked on the job. Unbalanced workloads lead to several negative aspects that can hurt an organization’s ability to function as a cohesive unit. In this analysis, Team A will relate Kellie’s issue of feeling overworked. Team A will then choose a research method that will best solve the issue, while applying more specific methods to gain the clearest picture possible of the problem at hand.Finally, Team A will relate the ethical considerations that must be iincluded in providing an applicable solution. Work Related Problem: Unbalanced Workload- Kellie Speaks Working in one of the largest school districts in Colorado, one would think the communications department would be at the top of the priority list when it comes to the number of people they would have to keep those gears moving. Being a five-year veteran of the establishment, I have seen people come and go. I am what you call the utility player.I spend my day trying to figure out what everyone else needs to be happy. My technical job title is ‘Community Relations Coordinator. ’ I spend 40 to 50 hours a week supporting the public information officer and the community relations officer- setting their meetings, filling their calendars, and reminding them of what they need to do and where they need to be. I need to make them look good. A great deal of my job consists of answering the phone for them and the Superintendent of Schools.These phone calls usually are upset parent's that want to talk about why little Johnny didn’t get into the special art class they requested or, ‘did you realize there is 3 inches of snow on the ground and why didn’t we cancel school today? ’ I also have two videographers that I have to send out to shoots at locations tthroughout our 900 mile distric t. We have over 84 schools. The Superintendent runs the district like a Fortune 500 company. This can have its positives and negatives. I understand that having over 6,000 employees could compel an individual to run things like this- but ometimes it can also make it very impersonal. I am the only support staff these people have. I do, however, get a 3o minute lunch that I usually take at my desk. This is usually a delicious frozen entree or leftovers of some sort that I bring from home. Even when I skip lunch I still cannot find enough time in the day to finish my tasks, which mearns they get pushed back to the next day. This can be very frustrating as the tasks pile up. By the end of the week, sometimes I have more than I started with and I end up taking work home.For these reasons, my case is relevant to the study of I/O psychology; unbalanced workloads are not limited to my job and solutions to this will be welcomed by individuals in every employment sector. Analyzing the Issue: Research Method(s) If Team A was composed of Industrial/Organizational psychologists, we would begin our analysis of Kellie’s workplace problem with a research question. Research questions can be general or specific, but to ascertain a better understanding of the problem a specific question is of greater benefit (Spector, 2012).To this end, our research question would likely be ‘What is causing employees to feel overburdened by an unbalanced workload? ’ In this way, Team A has defined the objective of the study and identified the specific problem at issue (Spector, 2012). Our next step is to decide what research method is most appropriate in addressing the issue. Although a thoroughly balanced study generally includes qualitative and quantitative research methods- with quantitative methods used to garner empirical support for qualitative findings- Team A will opt to employ only qualitative methods at this point (Mahoney ; Goertz, 2006).We must also take into acco unt that the issue will be perceived differently by employees, supervisors, and ourselves as the psychologists researching the issue (Stagner, 1982). Our research question has a high degree of subjeactivity; what is considered too much work by one employee can be considered entirely manageable by another. For these reasons, Team A will use more than one method of qualitative research with the goal of reaching a realistic and applicable solution. Qualitative methods involve several mearns of studying organizational issues.Among these are observational studies, case studies, interviews (Spector, 2012). Team A will begin by conducting structured oral interviews of employees and supervisors. In this way, we will begin to paint a broad picture of the issue with the goal of identifying different employee perspectives to be reconciled through other research methods in the future (Rojon, McDowell, ; Saunders, 2011). Conducted face to face with staff members, Team A will pose specific questi ons in the interviews.Likely questions include: What is your hourly wage or salary? How many hours per week do you work? What are your specific tasks and duties? Do you have support staff? Does your company have an employee break/lunch ppolicy and if so, is it enforced? Do you have one supervisor, or do you report to several? Do you feel you have adequate technological resources and/or support? How well do you get along with your fellow employees? How many, if any, tasks are left incomplete each day? Why are those tasks left unfinished?Although the above list of questions is hardly exhaustive, Team A will get an idea of the varying perspectives bound to be held by different employees in this manner. Following the collection of interviews, Team A will attempt to interpret the results through content analysis (an evaluation of the details and implications of the aanswers received) and thematic analysis in which recurring themes among responses will be identified (â€Å"Siop. org†, 2013). Because Team A wants to get the clearest picture of the issue possible, observational research methods will also be used.Team A will rely on the participant observation method whereby we will become members of the workplace group by conforming to the collective culture of the cohort. In this way, sharper insight will be gained into the cohort’s methods, group and individual motivation, behavior, and emotions (Mahoney ; Goertz, 2006). This method has inherent problems Team A will try to avoid. For example, observer bias can come into play; events are often interpreted through the lens of an individual’s unique experiences and are not always objective in relation to solving problems.Team A is also aware of the problem of reaactivity- a phenomenon by which an observer inadvertently influences the environment he or she is observing (â€Å"Ucdavis. edu†, n. d. ). Team A hopes that by utilizing structured oral interviews and participant observation enough d ata will be gathered in relation to the problem of an unbalanced workload. The data gathered will then be subjected to more quantitative methods to garner empirical support for our findings (Mahoney ; Goertz, 2006). Tthroughout the process, Team A will remain cognizant of the ethical considerations to be taken into ccount. Ethical Considerations When considering the problem of unbalanced workloads in the workplace, Team A came across some ethical considerations. According to Industrial and Organization Psychology, there are six ethical codes an I/O psychologist must consider when researching an issue (Spector, 2012). These are competence, integrity, professional and scientific responsibility, respect for others and dignity, concern for others’ welfare, and social responsibility. Competence describes the work an I/O psychologist has the ability to perform.Integrity describes that an I/O psychologist is fair and honest when he or she deals with others. Professional and scientif ic responsibility describes an I/O psychologist’s ability to maintain professional behavior. Respect for rights and dignity describes that an I/O psychologist respects the confidentiality of other’s privacy. Concern for others’ welfare describes an I/O psychologist’s attempt in helping others through professionalism. Social responsibility describes that an I/O psychologist uses his or her professionalism to benefit society (Spector, 2012).In studying these principals, Team A decided that the ethical considerations most important in this research case are competence, professional and scientific responsibility, and concern for others’ welfare. Competence in this research case is the most important ethical consideration. To begin, Team A has to make sure that they are all willing and able to carry out this study. In being competent, one shows that he or she is able and ready to carry out tasks necessary to complete and carry out the goal- which is in this case how to remedy an unbalanced workload in Kellie’s workplace.The second consideration, professional and scientific responsibility, is important because in researching this case it may be easy to gain biased opinions of views. It may be hard to remain unbiased and consider how the people being overworked can benefit from figuring out how to give the people being underworked more tasks. Team A could easily gain a biased opinion of those not carrying their weight and slant the research unfairly. In remaining professional, all parties will be heard and spoken for, and professionalism can help to make sure that happens.The last element, concern for others’ welfare, is the best way to describe how Team A can come to a conclusion in this case study. The main goal is to make life easier for those in the workplace. Team A believes that helping those who do not carry their weight mearns to show them the value of hard work and how they can continue this lesson in life to better themselves. That is what this last ethical consideration entails. Team A, as professionals, commits to the ethical consideration of using their professionalism to help and better others.In this case study, the end goal is to help and improve others by taking some pressure off those who have been given heavy loads of work and giving more work to those individuals deemed underutilized. In conclusion, Kellie is hardly alone in feeling overworked on the job. Although Kellie’s story is a common one, solutions need to be found. In this analysis, Team A related in detail the ways in which Kellie feels overburdened at her place of employment. Team A then went on to choose qualitative research methods, including structured oral interviews and participant observation, to further analyze the issue.Finally, Team A highlighted specific ethical considerations- competence, professional and scientific responsibility, and concern for others’ welfare- to take into account while c onducting research on the issue. References Mahoney, J. , ; Goertz, G. (2006). A tale of two cultures: Contrasting quantitative and qualitative research. Political Analysis, 14, 227-249. Rojon, C. , McDowell, A. , ; Saunders, M. N. (2011). On the experience of conducting a systematic review in industrial, work, and organizational psychology: Yes, it is worthwhile.